Think! Before you use everyday products containing poison.

The Danish EPA has launched a campaign called "Think!.. before you use everyday products containing poison".The campaign aims at giving the consumer knowledge about what biocides are, and how to use them correctly without harming people or the environment

Many of us don’t think twice about using household poisons when, for example, combating ants and preventing wood decaying fungus. Household poisons contain biocides and should therefore be used with consideration.

The Danish EPA has launched a campaign called "Think!.. before you use everyday products containing poison".

The campaign aims at giving the consumer knowledge about what biocides are, and how to use them correctly without harming people or the environment. Part of the campaign is a music video, another part is an app for mobiles, pc’s and tablets and yet another part a campaign homepage.

You can find information about household poisons on the new website hverdagsgifte.dk (in Danish), on YouTube in a music video with Danish actor Nikolaj Kopernikus, and in a new app for your smartphone. Here, you can also find information about products that often contain household poisons. The technical term for household poisons is biocides. You can see how to use the poisons safely, and how to dispose them in a responsible manner.

Background

As many as 75% of the Danes use household poisons, for example to kill mosquitos or get rid of algae on the terrace without knowing that they entail a risk for themselves or the environment. Therefore, the Danish Ministry of the Environment is now launching a campaign to provide more information about household poisons.We use poisonous substances every day to kill bacteria, bugs etc. However, very few of us think about what hand disinfectants, mosquito repellents and ant killer products actually contain.

Household poisons are designed to kill or deter unwanted organisms such as bacteria, algae, mosquitoes, mice, ants or other insects.

However, three in four Danes do not know that when we use household poisons, this entails a risk for ourselves and the environment.. This is seen in a survey conducted by YouGov and PlanMiljø on behalf of the Danish Ministry of the Environment.Household poisons can cause allergies and skin rash. Moreover, exposure to the different poisonous products we use every day can cause damage to flora and fauna.This is why the Danish Ministry of the Environment is now launching a campaign to inform about household poisons and about how to use them correctly.

“In many ways, household poisons are useful and legal to use. For instance, they are an inevitable component of wood preservatives that prolong the life span of wood products. Yet it is important to know what you’re dealing with when using household poisons. With this campaign, we want to make it easier for consumers to access this information,” said Kirsten Brosbøl, Minister for the Environment.

Advice

You can find information about household poisons on the new website hverdagsgifte.dk (in Danish), on YouTube in a music video with Danish actor Nikolaj Kopernikus, and in a new app for your smartphone. Here, you can also find information about products that often contain household poisons. The technical term for household poisons is biocides. You can see how to use the poisons safely, and how to dispose them in a responsible manner. Furthermore, the Danish Ministry of the Environment website (www.mim.dk) offers advice on how to avoid using household poisons and use another solution instead.

“The campaign will make it easier for consumers to use household poisons in the best possible manner. Many of the products are designed to kill, and this is important to keep in mind when we use these products. I feel convinced that this campaign will help limit unnecessary use of household poisons, and to me, this is an important goal,” said Kirsten Brosbøl.

CHEMICALS INITIATIVES 2014-17

In October 2013 the Danish Government established a broad agreement with all the parliamentary parties on strong Danish chemicals initiatives for the period 2014-2017. The agreement will ensure that children and adults can live without fear of becoming ill because of chemicals, and that people, animals and plant-life can thrive in a healthy environment. This may sound simple enough, but in a world where chemicals are a vital part of our lives, this is no easy task. Chemicals are in our clothes. They are in shampoo. And they are in our mobile phones. Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by chemicals. They help make our skin feel softer, make paint cover better and make bicycle tyres last longer. Fortunately, by far the majority of the chemicals around us are not hazardous for either people or the environment. However, we need to manage those which are harmful, and we must work actively to seek better alternatives. We are well on the way in Denmark and internationally, but there is still a lot of work ahead. The agreement on the Chemicals Initiatives 2014-2017 is a strong step forward on the road to life without toxins.